In a previous blog post, we gave an overview of the differences between the various types of NSF Project Reports that project teams submit on Research.gov.
In this blog post, we will provide some general reminders about project reports and then describe what types of information to include in each section.
General Reminders:
Both Annual Project Reports (APRs) and the Final Project Report (FPR) should be written specifically for the current reporting period; they are not cumulative.
Project Reports should address progress in all activities of the project, including any activities intended to address the Broader Impacts criterion that are not intrinsic to the research. Hence, your reports should include discussion of the goals, accomplishments, products, impacts, changes/problems that relate to both your award’s intellectual merit and its broader impact activities . One of the major reasons reports are returned for revision are because progress on broader impacts was missing.
The Project Report should stand alone. The Program Director reviewing the report should not need to reread your proposal to understand the activities and progress your project team is making!
Project Reports follow a template requesting the following information: (1) Accomplishments, (2) Products, (3) Participants/Organizations, (4) Impact, (5) Changes/Problems, and (6) Special Requirements (if applicable).
This section should address the following questions:
This is where you will describe the products resulting from both the intellectual merit and broader impacts activities during the reporting period. There is no limitation to the number of products you can report, and you also have the option of selecting “nothing to report”.
When adding products in the report, you will need to select one of the following types:
Tip: Be sure to double check that you list all the products mentioned in the Accomplishments Section.
Tip: Tell your program officer about publications, patent applications, and other products as they are submitted or accepted. NSF loves to hear about the outcomes of your work.
In this section, you will list individuals who participated in any research or broader impact activity supported by the grant during the reporting period , whether they were paid from the grant for their participation or participated in the project activities unpaid/voluntarily (as an undergraduate student might). For Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) sites and supplements, the number of applications and participants will also be requested.
You must list participants who have worked one person month or more for the project reporting period. There is no limitation to the number of participants you can report and you also have the option to select “nothing to report” to all questions except what individuals have worked on the project, which is required because no information would indicate that no one contributed to the progress of the project during the entire reporting period.
Tip: You do not need to include people who participated in an outreach event or similar broader impact activity, but you may want to include those who participated in the delivery of said event or in its development.
When adding participants in the report, you will be asked to provide the following information:
In this section you will be asked a series of questions to report on many different types of impacts your project could have. You again have the option to select “nothing to report” to the questions in this section.
Tip: When addressing the question: “What is the impact on the development of human resources?”, remember that high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, and/or postdoctoral researchers contributing to your project are likely developing their research skills, so your project is having an impact on developing human resources!
If you have not previously reported in writing to the agency through other mechanisms, this is your opportunity to provide NSF with changes that might have been made to the research and/or broader impacts approach or unanticipated delays/problems that might have arisen during the reporting period. You do have the option to state, “Nothing to Report”, if applicable.
Tip: Do not be afraid to include information about changes and problems! This section is intended to help keep your award managing Program Director up to date on issues you are experiencing in moving your project’s research and broader impacts forward. We certainly take these issues into account, for instance when we evaluate requests for No Cost Extensions.
Respond to any special reporting requirements specified in the award terms and conditions, as well as any award specific reporting requirements.
